Fassel and Burton — who did not know each other before this incident — swam over to the man, whose eyes were “rolling into the back of his head,” according to Fassel. The drowning man — who did not speak English — was gasping, splashing, panicking, said Fassel.

Fassel reached for the man’s arms while Burton reached for the man’s waist, and together they struggled to hoist him onto a surfboard until Manhattan Beach lifeguards arrived on the scene. The team then paddled the man to shore, where a team of paramedics were also waiting to help.